µ: The Final Frontier
by hirumisan
Summary: There are many stars in the sky, but the ones that shine brightest are on Earth! Well, they were, until µ shot up into space on an epic adventure to unite the universe with the two most powerful forces known to man: Love and Idols!
1. Maiden Departure

AN: WHY THE FUCK CAN WE ONLY ADD 4 CHARACTERS REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! anyways, this story includes all of muse.

EN: some random crap we thought up in 5 seconds and here is the result. updating.

* * *

To stop the destruction of Earth and the extinction of mankind...to use the power of song and dance to unite the universe…

That was the purpose of the World Idol Project, and the reason that 9 young, talented girls were sent on their millennia long campaign through the countless galaxies teeming with sentient life in the "Otonokizaka", Earth's most advanced explorer of the stars.

The quiet but enthusiastic Hanayo Koizumi, the tsun but dere Maki Nishikino, the hesitant but energetic Rin Hoshizora, the indecisive but caring Kotori Minami, the timid but strong-willed Umi Sonoda, the air-headed but determined Honoka Kousaka, the devilish but charming Nico Yazawa, the mischievous but wise Nozomi Toujou, and last but not least their strict but dependable captain, Eli Ayase. They all came together to form Earth's greatest deterrent against war: µ, the World Idols!

'I'm sorry for being such a useless daughter!' Her voice cracking, her face wet with tears, Honoka exclaims every word passionately as if it were her last, her arms tightly wrapped around her mother. 'I'm sorry I never helped around the house! I sorry I always skipped my chores! I'm sorry for eating that pudding that one time! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!'

Her mother chuckles softly, tears slowly dripping from her eyes. 'Don't say that, Honoka. You don't have anything to apologise for. You were the best daughter ever.' She rubs her back, comforting her.

'Hey!' A firm slap to the back of her mother's head, Yukiho, Honoka's sister, pulls them apart, a slight pout tangibly expressing her annoyance. 'Best daughter my ass!'

Her mother pompously laughs behind her hand, waving the other teasingly.

'But seriously, sis…' She turns to Honoka, embracing her tightly. 'You really are the best sister ever.'

'Yukiho…' Honoka's tears fall onto Yukiho's shoulder, and she giggles. 'How can I be the best...when you already are, Yukiho?'

'Oh, shut up.' Yukiho hesitates slightly, but lets go of Honoka, smiling through her tears. 'Now get outta here and start uniting the universe. You're already late!'

Wiping her face with her hand, Honoka smiles her 100% smile and spins around to face the Otonokizaka. At the bottom of the saucer, portside, at the end of the ramp, there at the entrance of the ship are 8 figures.

'Honoka!' She hears a yell as she runs up the ramp to join them. 'Hurry up! We need to get to the bridge!' Umi grabs her arm, pulling her into the ship, the entrance ramp beginning to contract, the large door closing.

'To think you'd even be late today…' Eli brings her left hand to her forehead, cradling her left elbow with her right hand, her eyes closed, her brows furrowed.

'Sorry, sorry…' Honoka looks around to the other teary, wet, flushed faces of her fellow idols. Maki is hiding her face on top of Nico's head, her arms wrapped tightly around her, her shoulders shaking, Nico herself no less breaking down. Rin and Hanayo are both kneeling on the floor in each other's arms, legs splayed out from the knee down behind them, softly sobbing together tears that were no doubt streaming just before now. Kotori is grasping Umi's other hand tightly, her face downcast, tears visibly dripping down to the floor. Nozomi smiles kindly at the group, her own tears betraying her somewhat well-kept composure. 'I just didn't want to leave…' Honoka smiles at Eli, feeling her own tears resurfacing.

'...I know, I know…' Eli brings her left arm down to cross with her right, opening her eyes to reveal redness and clear signs of crying, and smiles at Honoka. 'After all, none of us did. No matter how ready we thought we were last year, last month, last week, or even yesterday… None of us are prepared to leave.' Perhaps it's her own words that cause a sudden realisation, but Eli, despite her best efforts to remain composed, begins to cry once more, the aqueduct from her heart opening up again, her smile wavering. She claps her hands together loudly, turning away from the entrance. 'Alright everybody!' Her voice shakes for a moment, but her ever-reliable tone remains. 'Let's hurry to the bridge. We need to be ready for lift off.'

No matter how they felt in this moment, they all stood up straight, they all wiped their tears, they all faced the same way as Eli, and they all stepped towards their destinies.


	2. Aight, Mate!

Made of slick, pink-tinted "shining stageum", a metal 30 times the hardness of diamond, but ⅔ the weight of tritanium, the hull practically impenetrable coupled with the defense focused systems that concentrated almost solely on shields, the Otonokizaka is a heavy escort carrier consisting of a large saucer, 300 by 240 metres in diameter with a depth of 40 metres, serving as the vanguard of humanity. It has a large neck, spanning from atop the saucer to 260 metres behind it with a width of 180 metres and a depth of 100 metres (including the depth of the saucer for the part that coincides with the saucer), and symmetrical nacelles coming out from the back of the neck extend further backwards. Will this magnificent example of human ingenuity carry our girls safely to the union of the universe?

* * *

'5!' Breaths bated.

'4!' Stomachs churning.

'3!' Heart pumping.

'2!' Sweat…sweating.

'1!' A final prayer, a whisper of encouragement, all they can do now is hope.

'Lift off!' And just like that, they're in space: no shaking, no discomfort, no price to pay but fuel in the form of "love gems" to achieve the miraculous feat of orbiting a planet.

The entire ship - idols, engineering, home economics and all - collectively breath a sigh of relief despite the literal impossibility of failure.

'Uwa...waWAAAAAH!' An unholy whine echoes through the neck of the ship, originating from the bridge.

'H-Honoka-chan!?' Kotori exclaims, worried, as Honoka falls to the floor at the back, starboard, of the bridge, balling her eyes out.

'WE'RE NEVER GONNA SEE THEM AGAIN!' She rubs her eyes rapidly, yelling at the top of her lungs, squirming on the comfortable pink carpet lining the floor.

'We're...we're...WE AREN'T, ARE WE!?' Dragged in by Honoka's aura of despair, Kotori falls to the ground next to her, doubling the waterworks.

'It's not like I can't empathise…' Umi starts, bringing her left arm up. '...But we can just call them, can't we?' A 30cm², neon-pink holographic panel projects out of the small, well-fit bracelet on Umi's wrist, detaching itself and moving in front of her. A loading symbol consisting of 8 dots and a jumpy quaver appears for a moment, but is quickly replaced by Yukiho, her left eye covering most of the screen, facing away from Umi.

'Hello? Umi-chan? Are you there? Where's Honoka?' Yukiho moves away from the screen, realising that she's too close.

'She's...below the screen right now-'

'Yukiho!' Honoka jumps up, going to embrace the hologram. Of course, she falls right through it and tackles Umi to the floor.

'Ow!' Umi cries, sandwiched between a crying, snotty Honoka, and soft carpet.

'H-Honoka-chan!' Kotori scrambles over to them, trying to help them up.

Meanwhile, another whiner lies, spread out on the bridge's central coach.

'I'm sick of space!' Nico pouts, head on Maki's lap.

'Eeeh!?' Maki, along with Nico's mother on a holographic panel level with Nico's face, express their respective annoyance and surprise.

'That whole "marvel at the universe's mysteries" crap got old, like, the second time we came here!' Nico starts rolling around on the couch. 'I wanna go hoooooome Mama!'

'Oh for gods..!' Maki starts, her lap being assaulted by Nico's hair and facial features. 'Can you stop that!?' She yells, jostling her legs around, mindful not to push Nico off of the couch.

'Ehehe… Please take care of my daughter for me, Maki-chan~' Nico's mother laughs.

'E-Eh, wait! Help me out here!'

As Maki struggles with the rigma-roll of calming Nico down, Hanayo and Rin sit on the front-most couch having a bit of a situation of their own.

'...and remember to wash behind the ears, and don't be afraid to ask for more rice if you want, and, and, and-'

'Th-That's enough, mama!' Hanayo tries to cover the screen with her hands, and somewhat succeeds, phasing through such that her arms cover her mother's face. 'You're embarrassing me!'

'Don't worry, Mamazumi! I'll take care of Kayochin for nya~' Rin hugs Hanayo from the side, smiling at the panel.

'Please do…' Hanayo's mother says with the sincerity and kindness of a worried mother.

Very much akin to this tone, atop the low trapezoid steps at the entrance of the bridge at the back, Eli sits next to Nozomi, talking to Arisa on the "captain's couch", which is simply the highest, most prominent couch. Otherwise, it is exactly the same as the other ones.

'Be sure to do all your homework and don't sleep too late.'

'Yes, yes…' Arisa mopes a bit, mumbling under her breath. 'Why are you the one worried about me…'

'Ufufufu~' Nozomi chuckles. 'Space or Earth, epic cosmic odyssey or not, Elicchi is still Elicchi.'

'Hush, you.' Eli gives Nozomi a playful jab to the side. 'I just won't be around to scold her for it later, so I may as well try to stop it from happening.' She turns back to Arisa, smiling. 'It's almost time for the briefing, so I'll call you again later, okay?'

'See you later, sis~' Arisa smiles, bringing her hand up in a cute little wave as the hologram panel disappears.

Suddenly, the frontal screen of the bridge lights up.

'Ah, it's Min-Min!' Nico sits up straight, pointing at the woman on the screen.

'Hello, girls-what is going on!?' Prime Minister Minami is met with the strange sight of her daughter trying to wrench a crying Honoka off of a suffocating Umi on the floor.

'Min-Miiiiiiin, take me hooooooooooooome!' Nico complains, her hands digging into the couch as she swings her legs up and down.

'A-Already, huh?' PM Minami laughs dryly.

'D-Don't listen to her, Minami-san! She's just an idiot!' Maki clamps her hand over Nico's mouth, much to Nico's discomfort. 'S-Stop licking me!'

'Ehehe…' She obviously had not given them enough time to get accustomed to their new environment. 'Should we postpone the briefing, Captain Eli-chan?'

'That...won't be necessary,' Eli responds, standing up and clapping twice. 'Honoka! Get off of Umi and go sit down!'

'Haaaii…' Honoka sniffles a bit, but stands up, heading towards the captain's couch and sitting down next to Nozomi.

'There, there…' Nozomi brings Honoka down to her chest, stroking her head.

'U-Umi, are you okay?' Kotori helps Umi up and they stagger towards the central couch, sitting next to Nico and Maki.

'Nico!' Eli continues. 'Stop causing trouble for now. We can talk about this later.'

Nico lets out a small, dismissive cry of agreement, muffled by Maki's hand. Maki lets go of her tentatively, instantly regretting doing so.

'LIKE HELL I'M GONNA STO-' Nico stops in her tracks, sensing a menacing aura.

'Nicocchi~!' Only Nozomi can manage to say her name so maliciously with a smile on her face.

'H-Hell yeah, space! So cool, woo…' Nico shrinks back into the couch, sulking.

'Alright, I think we're good to start. Go ahead, Minami-san.' Eli smiles, satisfied, and the room falls silent, the occasional grumble from Nico or sniffle from Honoka barely noticeable.

'...Right.' PM Minami clears her throat. 'Hello, girls.'

A mixture of greetings ranging from Eli's polite "Good morning, Minami-san" to Kotori's warm "Hi, mama~" resound throughout the bridge.

'It's good to see you're all in such...high spirits.' She smiles, her worry for the girls somewhat alleviating after once again being presented with Eli's dependability and the girls'...hidden competence. 'Let's begin the briefing then:

'First of all, the formalities.' Her expression fills with pride and warmth. 'You girls are both humanity's most vital "proof of concept", and their greatest, for lack of a better word, heroes. You were trained for all your lives in order to be the ones to prove that the idea of universal unity through peaceful means is plausible, and now it is time for you to embark on your expedition to substantiate the claims of this possibility, and even to expand the horizons of it as you explore the never before reached sectors of the universe.' Her smile drops, her expression sharpening, her eyes cold and dutiful. 'Although it is rude of me to question your devotion at this point, I am still obligated to ask: Are you prepared to smile with the weight of the world on your shoulders?'

'Yes!' They all yell, standing up in unison. There isn't a moment's hesitation between the girls hearing PM Minami's words and their unanimous response.

'Hey, wait!' Maki turns to Nico, her arms crossing, raising one eyebrow. 'Weren't you just complaining a moment ago?'

'S-Shut up!' Nico turns to Maki, her arms by her side, her fists bent upwards.

'Alright, alright~' The warmth returning to her face, PM Minami feels a certain relief despite her undying faith in the girls. 'Sit down, girls. I can feel your enthusiasm from down here~' They do as she asks and she continues. 'Alright then; on to your first mission briefing.

'As you already know from the expedition outline, your first mission has already been decided. You will be heading for the nearby "Ouz system". There, you will meet with the Ouzians on Ouz-1, and-'

'Question, question, question!' Nico leans forward, raising her hand up insistently. 'Haven't humans already established friendly relations with the kangaroo people?'

'...and consolidate our alliance with them.' Minami's brow furrows, her smile giving an impression of worry. 'I suppose it should be expected that you didn't read the outline very thoroughly, Nico-chan…' She looks at the other girls in the room. 'Could someone bring her up to speed? Honoka-chan?' Although she hopes her suspicions are wrong, she tests Honoka.

'E-Eh?' Of course, Honoka had also brushed over the finer details of the outline, mostly only reading about the cool technology and facilities they had on board. In fact, she didn't even know the Ouzians existed until they were just mentioned. 'Well, um…'

PM Minami sighs. Just what am I going to do with you… Rin is also on her list of people to test, but she decides to spare her for the moment, leaving her with the looming threat of maybe eventually being found out. 'Umi, please.'

'Hai!' Umi stands diligently and begins to recite an easy to understand, brief version that she no doubt wrote for Honoka. 'As the Ouzians are a miraculous existence, serving as sentient beings with near identical evolutionary lines nearby to our own system relative to the rest of the universe, humans have already established an alliance with them. As such, we are being sent there in order to hold a mock 'Live' for them to both consolidate relations and practise for more hostile situations.'

'Oooh!' Honoka claps. 'As expected of Umi-chan~!'

'Side note:' Maki continues, turning sharply to Nico. 'Although the term "kangaroo people" isn't taken as derogatory since the Ouzians are a race of marsupials and regard their similarities to Earth's kangaroos with pride, it would serve what's left of your dignity better if you called them by their official name.'

'Haaah?!' They butt heads angrily. 'What're you trying to say, huh!?'

'Oh, nothing!' Maki raises her voice. 'I was just thinking that perhaps one of us wasn't cultured enough for this mission!'

'Oh yeah, princess?! See how much your "culture" helps when we're out on an alien planet!' Nico raises her hands to grab Maki.

'Oh, it'll help!' Maki raises her's to meet Nico's. 'More than your lack thereof, anyways!'

'Ehehe…' PM Minami laughs a bit, used to this spectacle. 'I guess we can start wrapping up this minor briefing. If you have any further questions at all, ask your peers or refer back to the expedition outline. We already sent word ahead of you, so don't worry about appearing as a threat to the Ouzians. Your arrival time today is at your discretion. Good luck, girls.'

'Thank you for your time, Minami-san.' And with Eli's ending remark, the screen turns off. 'Nico, Maki, get off each other!'

'Hmph!' They turn away from each other, crossing their arms and tilting their heads up.

'Alright everyone, get ready! As soon as we get the "okay" from the rest of the crew, we're jumping!'

'Hai!'

* * *

The city lights line the dusk horizon with a bright, industrious glow, a testament of the prosperity that Prince Robbo so dearly protects.

'So...you gonna tell me what's goin' on? Y'aven't let go of that doc since brekky, mate.' Bruce O'Donovan, Commander of His Majesty's First Space Fleet and trusted advisor to Prince Robbo, has his elbows on the balcony rail, looking over the city, a cigarette in his right, and Prince Robbo, back to the railing, to his left. As Bruce said, Robbo had a document in his hand that he had been going over since breakfast.

'Your wife won't like you chokin' on a ciggy.' Robbo remarks, face still in the document, eyes shifting to look at Bruce.

'Do ya bloody well not to tell her, then.' Bruce retorts. 'So, deadset on bein' a cunt, or are ya ready to tell me what you're thinkin'?'

'You read the report, ay? "Unitin' the universe", "New form of space travel", all that?'

'Nah, called in a sickie, mate.' He turns to Robbo, unimpressed. 'Bloody hell do you think? Piece of piss to get through, and outlines the most important thing of my career so far, mate.'

'Right.' Robbo flicks through the documents. 'What d'ya make of the their "top secret method" that they'll be showing us at the summit?'

'I say don't worry about it mate. Crew's a bunch of sheilas, ship's got no guns - hell, we have an alliance, so pop a cold one and get pissed for our first friendly summit in years.' He pats Robbo on the shoulder, laughing. 'S'what I'm gonna do. Proper stoked for it too!'

Bruce's laughter is cut short as Robbo slams the documents shut, his face sombre and downcast. 'Well, whatever their bringin', we're takin', Bruce.'

'...This about Eleanor again, mate?' Bruce knows it's a touchy subject, but he was certain this hunch was correct.

'...I will be the one that unites the universe, Bruce.' He turns to Bruce, determination in his eyes. 'But to do that, I'm goin' to need your help to-'

'King's not gonna like this-' Bruce starts before Robbo raises his voice.

'Do ya bloody well not to tell him, then!' He drops the document, his arms slamming onto Bruce's shoulders. Bruce notices how shaky Robbo's hands are, unsure if it's because of anger, sadness, eagerness, or a mixture of the three. 'Please, Bruce...for once I think I might have a chance.' Robbo stares Bruce straight in the eye.

'Cunt of a chance, mate.' Bruce sighs. 'Might not lead to shit, and it'll fuck our alliance with Earth, and my date with the Bottle-O.'

Robbo releases his grip on Bruce, realising that Bruce is relenting. 'Don't cry over spilt choccy if you've got more gettin' delivered, mate.' He puts out his hand towards Bruce. 'So you in, mate?' As always, he doesn't command Bruce as a prince, but asks Bruce as a friend.

Bruce puts out his hand to meet Robbo's in the middle. 'Aight, mate!'


	3. Surrenda!

The Ouzians, much like Nico described them, are humanity's marsupial counterpart. Sporting a large tail, a kangaroo-like snout, big ears, and a pouch (for the females), they are biologically identical to humans otherwise, save for naturally slightly better-built bodies. Lead by a single Monarch, King Stevo Bunnings, the Ouzians made an alliance with humans early in their space age, greatly appreciating the miraculous existence of a nearby sentient species they had so much in common with. Now, they are about to take part in a peace summit with the humans in order to consolidate relations and hopefully better their means of space travel. However, King Stevo's only son, second heir to the Ouzian throne, Prince Robbo, seems to have other plans. Will Prince Robbo fulfill his unknown agenda?

* * *

'Alright, everyone!' The holographic panel in front Eli disappears as she stands up from the captain's couch to address the others. 'Looks like everyone else is ready, so get to your consoles for a protocol A.F.A.L jump.'

The circular wall of the bridge is lined with large, bright pink consoles, 4 on the left and 4 on the right, and everyone besides Nico heads towards the one they had been designated, yelling "Hai!" with mannerisms ranging from "cursory" to "diligent". As each member gets close enough to their consoles, a couch rises up behind them, allowing comfortable usage at their stations.

'What's the point of going to a console when I can just use my bracelet for everything?' Nico mumbles, her face in a cushion, her belly on the central couch. She has a point, of course, as every function of the consoles is readily available to them via their bracelets.

'Nico, don't you have your presets on your console?' Umi looks over her shoulder, her fingers still working away at familiarising themselves with her set-up. 'You'll have to project your panels separately everytime you want to use them from the bracelet. The consoles are much larger and can be organised for easy use or priority of any function.'

'Exactly.' Eli frowns, crossing her arms. 'Your bracelet isn't made for just ship system control, so hurry up and go to your console.'

'But it's not like I'll be able to do anything that the others can't~' she complains, knowing full well that each member of µ is capable of manning any system they need to.

'Yeah, but if everyone works together, then we'll win waaaay more.' Honoka smiles at Nico over her shoulder, her right arm raising to form a thumbs up. 'We need your "Nico" power to-'

'You don't need meeee~' Nico rolls onto her back, hugging the cushion to her chest. 'It's just a jump into a peaceful environment anyways~'

'Just get to your console already!' Maki yells at her, standing up and turning around. 'Eli, help us out here!' She calls for the firm jurisdiction of their fair captain.

Eli sighs, slightly exasperated. 'Nico-chan…' _What would she hate... Ah!_ For just a moment, Eli reveals her secret "evil face" that she solemn either wants to or gets to use. 'I'll take away your bean bag privileges~'

Nico's face of fear immediately pops up, looking over the back of the couch at Eli. 'Y-You wouldn't!' Nico can't imagine a more evil threat. _S-She's bluffing! She has to be!_

A panel appears in front of Eli and she begins fidgeting with it. 'I'm doing it right now.' Her expression turns cold, any maternal or friendly warmth disappearing, as she looks down her nose at Nico, her dark aura palpable.

 _Holy crap, she's not bluffing!_ 'A-Alright, you win!' Nico scrambles off of the couch, rushing to her console.

'Harasho~' Eli smiles, dismissing her panel, her facade as a tyrant going with it.

'Didn't know you had a mean bone in your body, Eli-chan…' Nico grumbles, salty.

Nozomi laughs. 'No mean bones to her name, I'm afraid; just the makings of a captain~'

'Bean bag privileges, huh?' Umi wonders. 'While it is nice to be able to inflate any part of the carpet into a bean bag...Are they really that important?'

'Kekeke…' Honoka closes her eyes, her arms crossed, a smirk on her face. 'You'll never understand a woman's heart, Umi-chan~!'

'Eh?' Umi glares at her. 'What are you implying...?'

 _Alright..._ Eli's eyes trail down the left side of the room. _Umi, Honoka, Kotori, Nozomi…_ Her eyes move to the right side of the room. _Rin, Hanayo, Maki, Nico...Perfect!_ She can't really recall a time they got it wrong accidentally, but nevertheless, she's proud of them.

 _Tyrant…_ Nico is still grumbling under her breath as she fiddles with her custom console. Although she will never admit it, she actually thinks it's nice that Eli believes she'll contribute to the group, even if she didn't think so herself. _It's not like I'm going to see something they...don't…_

She spots it. A small blue 'blip' appears on her console's radar for a fraction of a second as she haphazardly enlarges and shrinks the display, messing around with it. _Another...ship? This close to Earth?_

'Prepare for an A.F.A.L jump in 5...4…' Eli speaks into her bracelet, projecting her voice through the ship's PA system.

The other girls seem too focused on actually organising their systems to notice anything, but Nico swears that the blip had actually been there.

'3...2…' Eli continues.

 _I-I have to tell Eli-chan!_ She reaches for her console's "Talk" button, but just as she's about to press it, the circle next to Eli's name on the "Talk" panel lights up, signalling that she had pressed hers.

A panel had suddenly appeared in front of Eli. 'Apologies, everyone, but wait one moment please.' Eli lowers her bracelet, postponing the jump 'We've received a communication request from the Ouzians, everyone.'

'Eeeeeh!?' The girls sans Nico were all bracing for a jump and turn around in surprise.

'Ah…' Nico hesitates, reeling her hand back a bit.

Eli cancels her talk, and Umi presses hers. 'Right now?' Umi asks, bewildered. 'Are we late for the summit?' A shroud of unrest covers the crew.

Nico draws in a sharp breath between her teeth, questioning whether or not to press her button as Umi cancels her talk. Rin speaks without pressing her's, deciding it unnecessary to talk in turns right now. 'We still have the rest of today, right nya?'

'Y-Yeah, we do, don't we?!' Hanayo reiterates, nervous. 'We just got into space!'

Nico is left with an opening, a chance to notify the group of the blip. _...It's probably nothing._ Not wanting to cause any trouble or unnecessary tension in this already worrisome situation, Nico stays quiet. Despite her usual demeanor, Nico is actually quite considerate - perhaps too much so in this situation.

'No reason to dwell on it.' Eli's expression is warm and welcoming, but her eyes betray a deeper cautiousness. 'Everyone get comfortable. Looks like it's time for a conference of some sort.' She turns to Nico, smiling. 'I guess there was no need to get you to your console after all. Sorry.' She laughs, and Nico is left a bit off-kilter, mind still plagued by the blip, before she retorts.

'T-Told you so~' She smiles smugly, lowering her couch and moving towards the captain's to sit down. ''Scuuuuse me~' She lowers her head onto Eli's lap, her feet fidgeting on the couch's right armrest.

'H-Hey!' Maki yells as she moves away from her console. 'Can you at least _try_ to look professional!?'

'It's fine, it's fine.' Eli waves her hand in dismissal. 'Establishing more of a casual atmosphere is also important. We want to appear welcoming and free of threat, especially for our particular...field of negotiation.'

'...If you say so.' Maki sinks into the central couch, arms crossed, a bit uneasy.

Umi, Honoka, Rin, and Hanayo sit down on the front couch. Nozomi and Kotori sit with Maki on the central couch. Satisfied that everyone is comfortable, Eli takes a deep breath. 'Alright, here we go, girls.' She taps the panel in front of her, establishing communications with the Ouzians.

'G'day, mate.' Bruce greets the girls as they appear on the screen in front of him, his own face and upper body visible to them on a grey backdrop. _...I kinda feel sorry for yous._ To him, they just look like a bunch of pure, teenage girls, what with their school uniforms and all.

'Ah, kawaii…' Kotori says under her breath. She had seen the Ouzians before in pictures, but nevertheless, their faces never failed to trigger her "that's cute" reaction.

'Eh? Really?' Maki whispers to her, surprised. Kotori doesn't seem to notice Maki, enamoured by the Ouzian. _Eeeh…_ Maki thinks for a moment, before realising. _Ah! So it's like that, isn't it…?_ Maki recalls how Kotori acts around alpacas, and gives herself a satisfactory answer.

'Greetings. You must be Captain Bruce O'Donovan.' Her right hand running through Nico's hair, Eli greets the Ouzian diplomatically. 'Would that be correct?'

'Fair dinkum, Captain Eli Ayase.' He tips his hat.

'W-What?' Honoka whispers to Umi, confused. 'Fair...what?'

'J-Just...leave it to Eli.' Umi whispers back, also unfamiliar with the Ouzian's strange development of a language that appears almost identical, but still very distant, to their own.

'And you requested communication to inquire about the summit, I presume?' She scratches Nico behind the ear, Nico practically asleep by now.

'Right on...mate?' Bruce's statement turns into a question as he watches one of the girls stand up and start moving slowly towards the captain's couch. She...might be trying to act inconspicuously, but Bruce can only guess, as she isn't very stealthy about it.

'Nico-chan, that's not fair nya~' Rin whispers, bumping Nico's head backwards a bit to fit on Eli's lap, her feet fidgeting on the other armrest.

'Nugh…' Nico groans a bit, half-asleep and unwilling to fight back.

'Don't mind them, Captain O'Donovan.' Her left hand begins stroking Rin's hair. 'Do continue.'

'...Fair enough.' Bruce shrugs, chuckling a bit. _Haha, fuck me dead, I feel bad for doing this!_ Bruce grimaces, his regret for his decisions and relenting to Robbo growing. _Cunt owes me twenty._ 'Captain Ayase, unfortunatly we'll 'ave to bail on the summit, mate.'

'B-Bail? Honoka whispers to Umi. 'Is that...bad?'

'I...think so?' Umi whispers back.

'Oh?' Continuing to coddle Rin and Nico, Eli appears calm, but Bruce had just set off a lot of red lights in her mind. 'And why's that?'

'Cause our prince is a cunt, mate. Nothin' personal.' Bruce closes his eyes, sighing and dispelling everything but professionalism. 'Captain Eli Ayase, by order of Prince Robbo, second heir to the Ouzian throne, I demand ya surrenda, mate.'

'E-EEEEEEH!?' Rin and Nico shoot up, joining in a collective expression of surprise from the entire bridge crew sans Eli, who is suspiciously quiet, her eyes closing, her mind turning, already searching efficiently for answers.

 _Surrender? A threat, then. Back-up to their threat? Unclear._ Cogs grinding, one thought leads to another.

 _S-Surrender!? What the hell!?_ Her thumb nail between her teeth, sweat starts forming on her forehead.

'A-Are you being serious right nyow?!' Rin jumps up, running up to the screen.

 _Oh fuck, they've got one that sounds like a cat, aven't they?_ Despite his best efforts, Bruce can't help but want to let the girls go. If he was perhaps 10 years younger, their youthful cuteness may have won him over, but there is no turning back for the 28 year-old, man of duty. 'Don't make this any harda than it has to be.'

 _Confidence. Bluff? Unclear._ Taking in information, analysing, she searches for a course of action.

 _W-What the hell do we do?! They're gonna attack us!_ Taking in information, panicking, she scrambles for a course of action.

'What do you mean by that?' Maki stands up, outraged, her right fist raising. 'I don't get this at all!'

 _I'd fucking love to tell ya, mate!_ '...Don'expect ya ta.' Bruce is quiet, exasperated, frustrated at himself. ... _They ain't kids, mate; they're threats._

 _Ouzians...early space life...limited data transfer technology…!_ Something clicks. _The broadcast isn't lagging!_

 _Wait...wait wait wait wait wait!_ Something clicks. _The blip!_

Simultaneously, Nico and Eli reach a conclusion: _They're really close by!_

 _Ouzians are, unlike humans, are limited to basic faster than light travel, so of course they're close by! Were they trying to take advantage of our technological advancement, or did they not think about this?_ Keeping her eyes set on the screen, she moves her hand onto Nico's thigh. _Message Nico... Make a distraction...Track ship...Find out why they're so close to us along the way._ Eli lists her order of operations to herself, and begins on it, satisfied.

 _E-Eh!?_ Nico feels a tickle on her thigh, but tries not to draw attention to it. _Is she...writing?_

'Just surrenda ya ship and-' Bruce continues to talk before a voice from off screen interrupts him.

Her finger trailing Nico's thigh, Eli writes a message. _T...R…A...C...K_ … Eli places her hand naturally on Nico's thigh as to not cause suspicion. _Their signal has to be unprotected for us to receive their visual and auditory data, and since they can't teleport data yet, it will lead us right to them! Even if they're transmitting signals from multiple directions, their proximity means we'll be able to sift through the signals and find their source easily too!_

'That's'nough, Bruce. They ain't gonna surrenda.' The crew jumps at the voice.

 _Ah, so he's here too._ It's more gruff, more solemn, but Eli still recognises it.

'Wait, what are you planning on doing!?' Umi swings an arm forward, questioningly.

 _Nico messaged, chance for distraction identified._ 'Prince Robbo Bunnings, I presume?' Eli stands up, right hand on her hip, her left projecting a panel in front of her. 'I've heard your voice from the Ouzian press conferences regarding our alliance.'

'F-From just that?! I-Idols are amazing…' Hanayo stares a Eli, intrigued, forgetting entirely that she's also an idol.

 _Track...? The ship? Oh...so she figured it out as well._ Nico pouts a bit, figuring out the message. _So much for being useful…_ Seeing her chance, Nico projects a panel. _Alright, so radar was at zoom four, outlier on xy-positive…_ Unbeknownst to her, she cut Eli's expected search time down incredibly by seeing the ship out of its stealth mode, a function it couldn't use right after an FTL jump.

'I have a few questions for you, your majesty.' Eli smiles, looking down at her panel, her mind still thinking about why they're so close to them. 'You aim to further the prosperity of your people? How does this benefit them?' _Could it be that they just wanted to communicate? Or..._

Bruce frowns, face downcast, placing his right hand on top of his snout. _Guess there's no way around it, mate._ 'Prince Robbo, at ya command-'

'And what about the king?' _Surrender...No conflict…_ 'I don't see you reporting to him here. Is this under wraps to the king? To the rest of the Ouzians?' Eli breathes a sigh of relief. _Boarding. It has to be._ That's the best conclusion she had come up with considering the fact that the prince seems to want their ship. Eli feels a soft tug on her skirt. _Found it already, huh?_ Her smile widens as she dismisses her panel.

'Prince Robbo, do I engage-' Bruce raises his voice, only to be interrupted.

'I'm afraid that won't be necessary.' Eli sits back down. 'Ouzian teleportation technology can't breach our shields, Captain, meaning you won't be able to board.'

'Eh?' All eyes turn to Eli, collective murmurs from the bridge crew ranging from "T-Teleportation? Boarding" (Honoka, who was panicking and had no idea what was happening) to "As expected from Eli-chan…" (Nozomi with her eyes closed and a smug, proud expression on her face)

'Aaah, shit.' Bruce moves his hand from his snout, looking at the girls for a moment, smiling. 'Ya got me.' He then turns his head to the side. 'Robbo, I need ordas, mate!'

'...Retreat.' It seems difficult to spit out, but Robbo says it.

'Kekeke...' All eyes turn to the laughing Nico. 'I'm afraid that won't be possible either, _Captain~_ ' She says, mockingly.

Some yelling can be heard through the screen before Bruce starts yelling back. 'Wadya mean the FTL drive is down?!' A panic sets in among Bruce's crew.

'You sent a hacking drone…' Maki's face lights up as she watches the commotion on the screen, Ouzians running across it as if they're on fire. 'You sent a hacking drone!' She smiles at Nico, unable to hide how impressed she is.

'Ooooh!' Kotori claps. 'Nico, that's amazing!'

'We didn't even need the hacking team for these guys!' Nico stands up with a smug, malicious expression. 'Kekeke! There's no escape for you now!'

'Oh? And wadya plannin' to do with us?' Bruce chuckles. _We're fucked now, ain't we_? A wave of calm rushes through Bruce.

'Bruce, what are you doin', mate?' Bridge crew running around like crazy attempting to counter the hacking, Robbo yells at the amused Bruce.

'Accepting my fate, mate!' Bruce yells back, laughing.

Eli stands up, clapping twice. 'I know this impromptu, girls, but get ready.'

'Oh?' Bruce scratches his chin, musing. _Come on then; show us, mate. How are you sheilas gonna unite the universe?_

'Eh? You don't mean…' Umi's face fills with worry.

'Well, I guess it's about time.' Maki smiles, stretching her arms.

'Eh?! Really!? Are we finally going to see some idols?!' Her arms bent up at the elbow and vibrating rapidly, glasses somehow on her face, Hanayo is very excited and once again very forgetful of the fact that she is also an idol.

'Idols…?' Still smiling, his brows furrowing in disbelief, Bruce ignores the turmoil befalling his crew.

'Exactly!' She takes Nico's panel and moves it in front of herself. 'Alright, everybody! It's time for our first "Live".'

* * *

Next Time: _µ's Music...START!_

Let's get this show on the terrestrial-ja nai road, everyone!


	4. μ's Music START!

L.I.V.E (Love Infused Vivacity Expulsion): the basis of humanity's universal peace-over. The World Idols band together in dance and song in order to win the hearts, krignac, emotion chips, and/or other appropriate symbolic organs of all sentient inhabitants of the universe!

The process is quite simple; the cathartic sensation of their joint passion is directly sent into the people watching them perform via their Universal Amplifying Dresses, or U. for short. This method allows any being to "feel" what the World Idols feel as they dance and sing their hearts out, regardless of emotional capabilities! Why are these concentration and amplification devices shaped like Idol costumes? Because every girl deserves to look their best while their out saving the universe!

* * *

Pitch black. Stray lights provide segmented solace within the darkness, provided by the flashlights of rushed feet. '...Life support, online.' The officer finishes his report.

'They've left us with the bare minno to live…' Robbo grimaces. He raises his right hand to his forehead, rubbing it in exasperation. 'The hell do they want?' Paranoia settles in as his mind contemplates the implications of their decisive loss.

'Maybe they're just getting ready, mate.' Bruce's laugh calls him back to reality, his posture relaxed in his chair, his cheek resting on his knuckles. 'Bit outta the blue for 'em, after all.' Bruce retains his usual relaxed demeanor.

'What are you playin' at, mate!?' Robbo screams 'We're up shit's creek in a barbed-wire canoe and you're acting like it's fucking nothing you knong!' His head in his hands, crushing anxiety filling his body.

 _Deep breaths in…deep breaths out._

Robbo's mind takes a moment to calm down from his outburst, and settles on one course of action. 'Please…' Barely speaking above a whisper, speech seems to hurt him with every passing word. 'Just let them all go...I did this...I was a fucking dumbass.' He raises his head out of his hands as his arms fall to his side. 'They don't deserve any of this, you hear!' His determination bleeds through into his words… 'I am to be held fully responsible for this!' ...His determination to save his people.

'Heh…' Bruce can't help but laugh. 'Hahahahaha! This is fucking rich!' Robbo's words feel like an insult, like childish, empty desperation. 'Now you wanta put your people first?! Bit late, cunt!'

'I know!' Robbo stares Bruce down, nothing but a wish for atonement in his eyes. 'I fucking know, mate…' He had regretted it all. All of his actions. All of his decisions. Anything that had stemmed from that one flawed moment in his life when he decided, in his own childish selfishness, that it would be _him_ that brought peace to the universe. 'I'm sorry, Bruce...I'm so fucking sorry…' He can't make up for it...He knows he can't...

'Crack me a cold one when we get back, and we're even, cunt!'

...And yet his idiot of a friend is willing to let him.

Bruce grins. _Fucking Robbo… Welcome back, mate._ 'But for now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!'

A light. A bright one. It cuts through the bridge from one of the many small monitors lining the walls. Another monitor lights up. Then another. One by one, they all do, and they all show different angles of the same image; nine girls...nine stunningly beautiful girls.

Dressed in sleeved, frilly, pastel crop tops, with streaks of frills going diagonally down from their shoulders across their chests, their stomachs are completely exposed. Double-layered skirts accentuate their legs, the first layer belted and ending slightly below their waist, the second, an off-centred low high skirt, smoothly hemmed, that reveals most of their thighs. These outfits present an image of both delicacy and vulnerability, but their empowered position juxtaposes this, allowing their costumes to say something along the lines of "even if we're fragile, we'll bare-belly break the barrier between us"!

'H-How do I look?! How do I look!?' Hanayo bounces up and down slightly, whisper shouting to Rin.

'You look amazing, Kayochin!' Rin gives her a double thumbs-up, also bouncing up and down slightly.

'Ohmygodohmygodohmygod, it's starting!' Honoka can barely hold her excitement in. She too...is bouncing up and down slightly.

'Shh!' Umi brings her right pointer to her lips. 'It's starting!' Needless to say, she…is not bouncing up and down slightly.

'Welcome to our shining stage!' Eli steps forward from the line, walking to the centre, her arms out to present the beautifully sparkling background, brilliantly gleaming upon its main attractions. 'We _were_ going to show you this during the summit, but I can't find a reason not to give you a little preview now~' Her giggle is mature, comforting, as she brings her arms down, stepping forward with her left foot. 'So without further ado…' She takes a deep breath in, her eyes closing. She can feel the nine of their hearts synchronising. Their thoughts, their feelings, their deepest wishes…in this moment they are the same.

'One!'

 _This isn't the academy anymore..._

'...Two!'

 _...and we aren't just doing this for fun._

'...Three!'

 _Our voices...our dances..._

'...Four!'

 _...carry the world with them._

'...Five!'

 _It's time to see..._

'...Six!'

 _...what our best is._

'...Seven!'

 _It's time to see..._

'...Eight!'

 _...how far we'll fly._

'...Nine!'

 _It's time..._

'μ's Music...'

 _...for us to…!_

'...START!'

Music begins to fill the ship, a spectacle like no other, bar none, beaten by none, falling upon the Ouzians!

They stand shocked, enamoured by the absurdity of the humans. Dancing and singing in the midst of a hostile takeover? The idea itself seems ludicrous!

'Plug your ears! Close your eyes!' Robbo falls to the floor, trying to block out as much of his senses as he can. 'Don't lettem get your mind!' Something begins to resonate within him as he tries to reject it.

'Oh for fucks…!' Bruce jumps up, laughing. 'This is fucking mad, mate!' He feels himself moving to the music, twisting, turning, dancing, as he shuffles his way to Robbo, pulling him up. 'Lighten the fuck up!' He spins Robbo around, stopping to let him face the main bridge screen. 'It's fucking party time, mate!'

Robbo reluctantly lets his arms fall to his sides, eyes opening to the 9 girls, smiling, dancing, singing to their heart's content. Something tugs at him. _What...is this…?_ Something vague, but familiar... _When...was the last time I felt this…?_

His mind blanks. He is presented with nothing. He feels his body float, an endless white plain expanding beyond his perception. Then something rings out: a voice.

'Universe's a scary place, huh?' A familiar courtyard, in a familiar palace. Prince Robbo sat on a bench, swinging his little legs that (soon, he had hoped) would one day reach the ground beneath him. He turned to the girl sitting next to him timidly, uncomfortable with his own circuitous approach.

'Well…' The girl began. Her voice was smooth, and to the prince, comforting. 'That's why I'm goin' out there, you know? To make it less scary…' she placed a hand on his head, ruffling his fur, '...for pussys like you~!'

'Oi,' the prince laughed. 'Fuck off, Eli!'

He feels his chest tightening, his heart beating heavily, as his senses are once again bombarded by the L.I.V.E.

'Love…'

The bridge had somehow descended into a crazy rave. Beers are being thrown around the room, some with people attached, as everyone dances and tries to pitch in during the second chorus, getting about one word right collectively between them. 'Ha…' His shoulders slump, his head falls.

'Oi, you right, mate?' Bruce, noogying another Ouzian under his arm, looks at Robbo, concerned.

'Ha…Hahahahaha!' Robbo breaks into manic laughter, head tilting backwards. 'We've fucking lost, mate! We lost as soon as we tried to fight 'em!' Robbo, turns to Bruce, smiling. 'Oi! Chuck us a cold one! Time for a fucking shindig, cunt!'

Bruce's eyes widen for a moment, Robbo's uncharacteristic tone throwing him for a loop, before his hardy laughter once again encapsulates the bridge. 'Aight, mate!'

'With the last item on the agenda addressed, I believe we can call this meeting here if there are no further queries.'

As always, Eli's presentation was meticulous, fluent, and grindingly boring to those that weren't particularly interested. However, Honoka, Rin, and Nico managed to stay awake throughout the tedious explanations of L.I.V.E, A.F.A.L travel, U. , etc, by staring at the absurdity sitting at the other end of the board room:

Prince Robbo and Bruce sway uneasily, attempting to focus on what they are meant to be hearing through their splitting headaches. Needless to say, they are very, very hungover, their messy suits creating a laughable contrast to the other, more aptly dresses Ouzians (who, in any case, are also probably going to get celebratorily smashed after the meeting).

'I thank you for your time. We will now take our leave to prepare for tonight's performance if everything else is in order.' Eli glances at the struggling prince.

'Mm…' Prince Robbo blinks slowly, a deer caught in the headlights of attempted composure. '...Yes, thank you, Captain Eli. All good, mate.' He stands, moving unsteadily for the door before officially ending the meeting. The rest of the Ouzians begin awkwardly standing up and shuffling out of the room.

'He's in some kinda rush, huh?' Nico sneers, watching the Ouzians struggle at the door, bottlenecked by the rocky prince and being shoved by the shaky captain.

'As should we be, girls.' Eli sighs. 'We have preparations to make now, and a dress rehearsal in the-'

'-the arvo!' Honoka interrupts, yelling happily. 'Can't bail on it for a barbie with the bloody Bruces and bludgers either!'

'What the HECK are you saying?' Maki gives her chop on the back of the head.

'Bloody hell Maki! What was that for?' Honoka beams, strange words still spilling from her mouth.

'Just be glad she only memorised the "A"s and the "B"s… ' Umi's eyes lifeless, her soul wisping out of her mouth, she chuckles humorlessly. 'Being dragged around the market yesterday when she had just bought the book…I couldn't understand anything…'

'Ehehe…' Kotori, who had been subjected to the same thing, pets Umi softly.

'Mate!' Honoka bounces around. 'I've got that one down too! That, and cu-'

'-And that's as far as you'll get!' Nozomi takes her down from behind, clamping her hand over Honoka's mouth, Hanayo following closely behind her.

'Idols are too pure to say that!' Hanayo cries.

'... "Eggs Guide to Ouzian Common"...' Rin pulls the paperback out of Honoka's carry cube.

'Oh, don't you start too…!' Maki grabs at the book.

'Too slow!' Rin begins running around the now empty boardroom, flicking to a random page. '"Slip slop and slap on a pair of sunnies, mate!"'

'Stop! Stop that right now! Nico, help me out here!'

'E-Eh?! What do you expect me to do?'

'Ehehehe...I suppose preparations can at least wait for us to settle down.' Eli giggles, enjoying the pandemonium for what it is. _These girls are just too fun!_

'...'

'...Eli…'

'Hm?' _A voice…?_

'...Eli…'

'Who…?' She spins around to find the origin of the voice calling her name. Her heart begins to twist, knotted by a strange sensation. _Ah… I'm not hearing that voice… I'm feeling it…_

'Hey, Eli! Where're you-'

'It's fine, Nicochi.' Nozomi smiles thinly, her eyes closed with neutral brows. 'Leave her be.' Nico watches as Eli hastily walks out of the room. 'In the meantime…' One arm under Rin's armpit, the other under Honoka's, Nozomi pulls them both in. 'I think our troublesome new "Ouzians" need some punishment!'

* * *

Eli pushes the screams of violation to the back of her mind, instead focusing on the strange sensation in her heart.

'...Eli…'

 _Love…bittersweet…_ She places the sensation there, but something about that definition bothers her. She had felt bittersweet love before, many times before, and this felt similar…but…

… _It's for someone else?_ It doesn't feel like it's for her to feel. She may have been made aware, sensitive, of this love, as for some odd reason her name was involved, but in the end, it isn't for her.

… _Who?_ The lover, the loved, the giver, the taker, the saddened, the saddenner. Hoisted by curiosity, Eli leads herself to the origin.

'...Eli…'

Through the cold metal door at the end of the hallway, Eli can still hear or feel nothing but her name. She pushes it tentatively, opening a small crack. A soft voice begins to drift out of the room

'...It won't be me that does it, but I reckon these sheila's've a better chance than I ever did. You'll see the universe you wanted to very soon, sis...' Prince Robbo strokes her cheek with his right index finger. '...And I'll be the one that shows it to you. That…I can promise…'

He brings his hand back, eyes flicking to the side, a small ray of light catching his attention.

… _Must have forgot to lock it…_

Needless to say, it would be a while until the prince drunk again. 'Rude to eavesdrop, ay?'

'Rude to keep secrets.'

 _Ah…_ He had expected them to run away, but that voice secured the fact that they won't. 'Captain Eli… What brings you to this part of the building?' He stands up, walking towards the door and opening it.

'...A reason, I suppose.' The determined blonde looks up, square into the prince's sombre eyes.

'Well, I'da guess you came for a reason, too…' The prince chuckles dryly. He knows exactly what she means.

'...What...or rather, who, are you hiding?' His stance is too wide, his composure too distracting, for him not to seem desperate to keep something hidden behind him.

'...Mm…' The prince thinks for a moment. 'I've no bloody clue what you're talking about.'

'...' She sighs impatiently, looking down. 'Alright…' She gathers her thoughts, closing her eyes. 'A girl named Eli…or something like that, I suppose. It seems apparent that she's someone you hold dear; by the sounds of it, your sister.' She pauses for a moment, searching for a reaction.

The prince tries to remain composed, his face hardening, but that in itself is exactly the kind of reaction the scrutinous detective is looking for.

'...She not doing so well, is she?' Eli's tone softens from interrogation to interfamilial interview.

'...Bang on, Captain.' Robbo turns around, walking into the dim room. He stands in front of a bed and motions to the chair at its side.'There's only one. Never expected visitors.'

'...Thank you.' Eli walks in calmly and sits down on the chair. As expected, in the bed lies a girl, unconscious and with barely any tells of life.

'...Eleanor Bunnings. "Eli" for short.' Robbo smiles warmly at Eleanor. 'This is the Captain I was talking about, Eli. The one that'll lead the universe to peace with her crew.'

'Good morning, Eleanor.' No hesitation, no tentativity.

'...That's kind of you, Captain, but you don't have to humour me.' His smile drops, and he sighs. 'She was the best of them: smart, beautiful, a natural leader. Textbook space captain. She went on a more…conventional version of your mission… To unite the universe in peace.' He grimaces.

'...'

'Something happened, her whole fleet mysteriously disappeared, and she came crashing back home in an escape pod. She's been unconscious ever since.' His eyes darken. 'I don't know what happened…I don't know if she can hear me...I don't know if she'll ever wake up.'

'...But there's hope, isn't there…'

'...Of course there is.' Bruce grins, brow furrowing. 'I wanted to give her the universe when she woke up. My hope was almost extinguished when the thought of not being apart of that universe as she woke up became all too real. Now, I think I have more hope than ever.' He turns to meet a smiling Eli.

'Hold onto that hope, that feeling…that love, for as long as you can.' She stands up. 'I want you to close your eyes and concentrate on it.'

'...Alright.' Robbo does what she says, tightening his grasp on his memories. _You girls…are somethin' else, huh?_

 _As long as there's love…_ She closes her eyes and reaches around with her heart. _As long as there's love…_ She feels it: A flickering light, calling out to her mates. _As long as there's love…_

'We idols can do anything.'

 _Fair dinkum._

Her voice begins to grace the air.

' _Leaves that fall, after our never ending summer,_

 _Feelings that call, from your never ending slumber_

 _Fall onto our hearts, as one,_

 _Call onto our love, time undone_ '

Silence.

'Mmph…' Robbo hears some stirring.

'Captain?' He opens his eyes. Eli had disappeared.

'Huh? Captain? Haven't been called that in years!' She laughs, cheerfully. 'And never by you, ya bloody drongo!'

* * *

'There you are, Eli!' Umi yells as Eli joins the group in the dressing room. 'You're already dressed? Where did you disappear to?'

'I went…' Eli pauses, musing over how she should put this. '...I suppose I went to help a young prince wake up his sleeping beauty.' She giggles, garnering strange looks from the room.

'Nani sore?' Maki frowns, bewildered.

'Oh, pay no mind.' Eli beams.

'Secret idol scandal!?' Hanayo cries, rushing up to her. 'Can I get an exclusive on it!?'

'Hanayo…' Eli pats her on the head. She breathes a well deserved sigh of relief; Improvising a meaningful song was hard work for someone of her…particularly fact-based mind. She's glad to be back with a crowd that can accommodate for each other's weaknesses. 'Alright everyone! Let's get ready for-'

'Objection!' Nico yells. 'I motion that we first talk about Eli's incapability to make interesting presentations!'

'E-Eh?'

'I second that notion!' Honoka's arm shoots up!

'Eeh!?'

'I second that notion too!' Both of Rin's arms shoot up!

'Eeeeeeeeeeeeh!?'

And so our valiant idols have made peace - friends even! - with their first patrons of the universe! Will they be as successful with their next, less familiar adversaries? Will love win in the mass expanse of space? They're adventures continue in the next cosmic chapter of µ: The Final Frontier!

* * *

'...'

'...'

'...Tsubasa, you have to believe in these girls.'

'...'

* * *

AN: Too much Eli. I should stop doing Eli. What's that? The next arc is also pretty Eli centric? Shit.

EN: 18 minutes late


End file.
